Classic Images of the American South

With the tragic but inevitable “Americanization of Dixie” continuing to occur at a break-neck pace, it’s both enjoyable and important for those that love the South to focus on the things that continue to set the region and its people apart from the rest of the country. Take the Great Southern Festival, for example. Be it agricultural, historical, or just plain social, the South seems to have a disproportionate amount of wonderfully unique festivals promoting (and preserving) our regional heritage. Today, let’s focus on strawberries.

Since 1930 the small town of Plant City, Florida-“The Winter Strawberry Capitol of the World” – has celebrated an annual festival dedicated to one of the Sunshine State’s most beloved exports: the strawberry. Featuring parades, live music, carnival rides, cooking competitions and the ever-popular beauty pageant, the Plant City/Florida Strawberry Festival has grown to be ranked as one of the “Top 50 Fairs in America”.

Plant City Strawberry Festival, 1939

Now to be fair, the South is not alone in throwing festivals to celebrate the glory of the strawberry. However, while it’s true that one may attend a “Strawberry Festival” in say, California, Illinois, or – God forbid – New York, we all know the real deal can only be found South of the Mason-Dixon.

For more information on the granddaddy of them all (The only Strawberry Festival with its own temporary Post-Office): THE FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL®, P.O. DRAWER 1869, PLANT CITY, FL 33564-1869. Phone: (813) 752-9194. Physical address : 2202 W. REYNOLDS STREET. Or, check out their helpful web-site here.